Driver shot, women injured as police on foot corner stolen truck

Ilya Gridneff -Nov 24, 2012

Man dead … police on the scene moments after the shooting. Photo: Supplied

IN LESS than 60 seconds, the driver of a stolen truck was dead.

A critical incident investigation began on Friday night after a bizarre series of events in Redfern, in which an as-yet unidentified man stole a truck, struck two pedestrians and put numerous lives at risk.

The fatal events unfolded at 11.40am on Friday, when the truck was stolen just metres from the train and police stations. Two tradesmen alerted police, who were parking their car at the time, and up to half a dozen officers were on the scene almost instantly as the table-top vehicle careered down a busy shared zone behind Redfern police station.

Pedestrians leapt to safety, but two women were struck.

The leading senior constable opened fire after the truck did a loop of the block and re-entered the laneway before becoming stuck on a pole outside the doorway of the Railz hotel on Regent Street. Inside were at least 10 customers and three staff.

Steve Griffin, 23, saw the man steal the truck, ''drive like a maniac'' and then get shot.

''The first time round the truck had been moving pretty fast, about 30km/h. I just froze and was about to get run over when a cop nudged me out of the way. I was shocked and couldn't move. I would be dead if he didn't do this,'' he said.

Mr Griffin said police fired through the truck's side window after repeatedly yelling ''stop''.

''The truck just kept reversing more, revving the engine, rocking backwards and forwards, trying to get out. The truck wasn't out of control, it was stuck,'' he said.

''There was a lady on the floor in front of the truck and if the police didn't open fire she would have definitely died,'' he said.

Officers swarmed the vehicle and attempted CPR on the driver, but he could not be revived.

Witnesses said they heard three or four shots and saw a handful of police surrounding the vehicle.

Redfern local Kelly Burgess said the noise and gunshots ''brought everyone onto the streets''.

''It was a real commotion, it was shocking,'' she said.

Assistant Police Commissioner Mark Murdoch would not say how many shots were fired or how many officers were involved.

''Clearly [the officer who fired his weapon] is distressed. He's been comforted by his colleagues,'' he said.

''Policing is an inherently dangerous occupation and police confront those dangers every day and make split-second decisions, but ultimately the coroner will determine the events leading up to the discharge of the firearm and the events leading up to the man's death.''

He said there was only one person in the truck. ''At this stage we still have not identified the man who was shot,'' he said.

Mr Murdoch said the two female pedestrians' injuries were not life-threatening. The women were released from Royal Prince Alfred hospital on Friday night, a hospital spokesman said.

The NSW Police chaplain was also on the scene as the homicide squad began its investigation.

The incident was similar to another police shooting in April, when officers shot a 14-year-old male driver and his 18-year-old passenger after their car mounted a packed footpath in Kings Cross in the early hours of a Sunday morning.